***Many Colored Patterns***

There is always hope peace will come
if not encompassed in the living
most certainly not in the dying
but in increments of moving forward

Making changes interacting with others
knowing that even in differences
we are all connected in commonalities

That loving & laughing in twilight hours
should be brought into the light of day
broaching imagined fears & realizing
that others may have the same fears

That birdsong & music must be heard
over the sound of bullets piercing us
to hear the poets words stitched into lines

That the birth of all natures creatures
the wail of a newborn’s crying demands
is the crescendo beckoning to humanity
to see life as the ultimate gift

That life is not as simple as a color
& more complex than lifestyles lived
that defects & handicaps are beautiful

That the poets stitched lines a stanza
of many patterns woven into many colors
of all life with powerful voices to hear
there is always hope peace will come

© Renee Espriu 2016

Photo Taken From Morgue File & Digitized by Myself

many-colors

There has been yet another mall shooting here in Washington State killing lives that most hold dear. Please see others’ writing for 100TPC that is holding a virtual event today at https://intothebardo.wordpress.com/2016/09/23/100tpc-2016/

Images of Teddy Bears

Altered Image Desktop Wallpaper

fighting back the fears
of losing you always
illusive as giant spiders
crawling over me
on the attack..ATTACKING

talking to you calmly
joking about tomorrows
amidst sterile sheets
IV lines needle piercing
driP, drIP, DRIPPING

watching your eyes
close beneath the shining
BRIGHT hospital lights
you seem SO very small
but only to me

glancing as attendants
wheel people by their
surgery already done
time goes by the
clock ticK, tiCK, TICKING

purple hospital gown
images of teddy bears
my heart beating
against my rib cage
thump…THUMPING

you lay before me waiting
and…one minute here
…the next one gone
time mediates anxiety
’til i see you smile again

© November 2012
Renee Espriu

My daughter had a successful surgery to remove surgical clips left from a surgery some 14yrs ago now and is doing well. The doctor who did the surgery has since disappeared (you hear about this happening to people you don’t know) but my daughter is now happy that perhaps she can get on with life. These are the things that went through my mind before her surgery.

Distant Rumbling

Image by Illustrator John Howe

riding within the ‘so called’
safety of the car
grey clouds hanging in
thick air as though
calling

with the promise of
lightning strikes
sky electric
followed by the distant
rumbling of thunder
clapping

bird song has left the
air currents
relishing the safety of
leafy boughs or
twig filled nests

brings back to my mind
a girl standing in
awe in front of a
living room window
no fear

watching the light show
waiting for the far
away sound of someone
bowling?

could it be the friends of
Rip Van Winkle playing
nine-pins in the
Catskill Mountains…
maybe

her imagination carried
adrift with glory
lightning strikes on
a summer’s afternoon
a childhood story

© July 2012 Renee Espriu

We have been having some odd weather lately as has been most of the entire earth and thunder and lightning storms, some without rain, (prevalent and common where I grew up in California) now here in Washington. While out today the sky was brilliant and I thought of one of my favorite stories “Rip Van Winkle” written by author Washington Irving in 1819. As a child when I looked at the sky lit up by lightning my mind just knew it was the men Rip met in the Catskills playing nine-pins. I never feared but as a child that is so much a part of growing up.

Hostage of Homelessness

Photo by  Stephen Osman / Special to The Star
Read more:  http://www.vcstar.com/news/2010/dec/08/winter-shelters-give-homeless-a-warm-place-to/#ixzz1pi2wlBkB – vcstar.com

Tattered pants cling to him
one foot is missing as he
waits sitting in his chair the
light rail riding steadily
making its’ way down the
hill people agog are staring

Homelessness is not partial

Exhaustion overtakes him now
nods his head, closes his eyes
wakes fitfully to look around
mumbles quietly to only himself
grimy hands and face weathered
to the wheelchair tethered

Homelessness is emptiness waiting

Hunger wantonly showing through
threadbare clothes simply clinging
rail slows to a stop as the ramp
descends his smile a caricature of
life waiting and with no fear he
announces ‘Evel Knievel’s’ coming

Homelessness takes many hostages

© March 2012 Renee Espriu

I was riding the light rail coming home and the gentleman I saw in his wheelchair told a story, sad but true. Found this image at a site for the Ventura County Star News and decided to use it. The story found through the link tells about this gentleman seen in the photo. Caused me to reflect what might be in store for the man I saw today.